India is keeping a close watch on a US bill that empowers Washington to impose tariffs up to 100 per cent on nations purchasing Russian oil and gas, the
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday, days after the proposed legislation cleared the US Senate. MEA spokesperson emphasised that national interest remains the core pillar of the country's energy policy. At the weekly media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "We are closely monitoring the developments." "We remain engaged with relevant stakeholders in the US at various levels on this particular matter," he added. "On energy security, our position has been clarified and very well articulated on several occasions. It is something which is predicated on our national priorities and on securing the energy needs of our 1.4 billion people through diversified sources, which includes the US," Jaiswal said. The US Senate passed the Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 with a decisive 86-12 vote, paving the way for the measure to be taken up by the House of Representatives for further legislative review. This empowers the Trump administration to impose up to 100 per cent tariffs on goods imported from nations acquiring significant quantities of Russian hydrocarbons or allegedly assisting in circumvention efforts. The sanctions target Russian officials, oligarchs, their family members, foreign persons and Russian banks and financial institutions, as well as the Russian Shadow Fleet. Section 113 of the bill specifically targets the five countries that purchase the largest volumes of Russian fuel or facilitate sanctions evasion through shadow fleets, threatening them with additional 100 per cent tariffs. Apart from China and India, the other top purchasers of Russian oil are Slovakia, Hungary and Azerbaijan. The bill calls for the US Trade Representative to reassess the top five purchasers every 180 days, to adjust tariff rates based on changes in purchasing behaviour.
